If you are a rawhide user/tester and have ipw3945 hardware, please
try the latest kernels here:
http://people.redhat.com/davej/kernels/Fedora/fc7/
I am having mixed results with the latest iwl3945 updates, but I'm
not sure if it is this particular laptop having problems or the driver
in general.

[...]

ive never had the iwlwifi driver work for me and the newest version is no
different. the first versions of the drivers would associate but quickly
drop off. the last half dozen or so kernels ive tested fail to associate at
all. in fact they don't even see any networks.

For me, I see networks, and in all previous versions I would get 'tx
buffer full', messages (after working for a very short moment), but now
I get nothing other than NetworkManger telling me to 'get a better
one' :-)

Hmm, can you run 'lshal' and find the bit for the wireless device?
There may be both wmaster0 and wifi0.

There's this Toshiba laptop in front of me with an iwl3945-driven card
that for some reason, NetworkManager never notices is there -- never
gives any evidence in its menu that a wireless card exists. I've got a
wmaster0 and a wlan0, but no wifi0, if its relevant.